1) Field of the Invention
Accommodative intraocular lenses or, alternatively, accommodative lens constructions (henceforth: “accommodative lenses”) are intended to replace the natural lens of the eye and restore its accommodative function. The accommodative lenses include an optical arrangement for variable focusing power (“focusing”), and, at least one, attachment component (“haptic”) for positioning in the eye and actuating the optical arrangement by the eye muscles. For example, the haptic elements can covert the movement of the ciliary muscle into the movement of the optical arrangement. The lenses can be positioned either inside the capsular bag (“bag”) or outside the bag. Accommodation is driven by the ciliary muscle (“muscle”) via connecting tissues: the ciliary process and the zonulae. Ciliary mass, or, “mass”, refers to the combination of said ciliary muscle, process, zonulae and supporting tissues.
2) Discussion of the Prior Art
In most current accommodative lenses the lens is positioned in the capsular bag and (1)—movement of the mass is transferred via the bag to the lens and, (2)—the bag separates lens and ciliary mass. In accommodative lenses described in this document (1)—movement of the ciliary mass is transferred directly to the lens and (2)—lens and ciliary mass are in direct contact.
The present invention concerns accommodative lenses, accommodative lens constructions, positioned outside the bag, at the plane of the mass, comprising an optical arrangement to vary the focusing power with at least one optical element and at least one haptic including at least one rim, which can be a flange for position in the sulcus and at least one coupling component and supporting components, with the coupling component adapted to transfer movement from the mass to the optical arrangement to contact the mass directly and to connect to at one end to the rim and at the other end to the optical arrangement. Hence the invention provides an accommodative lens construction including at least one optical arrangement adapted to vary its focusing power by movement of at least a part of the optical arrangement and at, least one haptic including at least one rim adapted to contact the mass of the eye and at least one coupling component connecting the rim to at least a part of the optical arrangement, wherein the haptic is adapted to transfer a movement from the mass to at least a part of the optical arrangement. A movement of a part of the optical arrangement is understood to encompass the deformation of said part of the optical arrangement. Further it is assumed that the movement of the rim, especially when it is monolithic, will incorporate the deformation of the rim and possibly the coupling component.
Optical arrangements for variable focusing may include effecting at least one optical element. This implies movement of at least one moving optical element, or deformation of at least one optical element having variable shape. The movements can be: (i) axial movements (“translations”), i.e. along the optical axis of the accommodative lens, as, for example, in US2002107568, US2007108643, US2004215340, U.S. Pat. No. 6,197,059, U.S. Pat. No. 5,674,282, or U.S. Pat. No. 5,275,623; (ii) lateral movements (“shifts”), i.e. along a single axis perpendicular to the optical axis, as disclosed, for example, in U.S. 2008/046,076, WO2008,091,152, WO2009,051,477, U.S. 2008/215,146, U.S. 2009/062,912, WO2006,118,452 and WO2008,071,760; (iii) rotational movements (“rotations”) of the fan-like rotating surfaces as disclosed, for example, in WO2005,084,587 and WO2008,077,795, the mathematical description of the surfaces is also given in Adjustable refractive power from diffractive moiré elements, S. Bernet and M. Ritsch-Marte, Appl. Opt. 47, 3722-3730, 2008. The variable shape, for example, variation of the radius of curvature of the optical element, can result from the mechanical deformation (“deformation”) of the optical element or any part of it as described, for example, in US2007106377. The optical arrangement included in a lens construction should be adapted to employ any of the described mechanisms (translation, shift, rotation or deformation), as well as any combination of the described mechanisms, resulting in a variable focusing effect. The mechanism for variable focusing can be applied to, at least one, optical element.